The Lover's Thorns
by BeforeItAllEnds
Summary: Ichigo's life goes through a change, which will have a great impact on his life. One day he meets Grimmjow, who quickly becomes his knight in shining armor. Dark and tragic pasts lure in their hearts, something that molded them to the person they are today. How will the past affect the slow building relationship between Grimmjow and Ichigo? AU. Yaoi. GxI and other pairings.
1. Where are we heading?

**AN:** Hello, what you are about to begin to read is, what I would say, my life- work. I've been writing on this story for about three years now. Inspiration has been big at times but also low. Today I got 12 done chapters (13 on the way) and I feel that I'm ready to share this with you. I'm super nervous about opinions, since it's so close to my heart. I'm writing this story for me and no one else, if you decide to read it, I sincerely hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.

Partly based on real events from my life or things I've seen that inspired me, twisted to fit into this fan fiction.

Big thanks to my beta, paradoxicalNightmares.

Rated M for a very good reason. Triggers may exist.

Pairings: Kariya x Ichigo, Grimmjow x Ichigo & Nnoitra x Shinji + eventuall other pairings.

_This is a warning, about no further warnings in future chapters._

**~ Chapter 1 – Where are we heading? ~**

The alarm clock turned the radio on at 7 AM. It wasn't too loud or too low, set at the perfect volume, and the sound from a person making his or her morning show were the best way to start the day. Being scared awake wasn't something he liked, it would only result in a bad morning temper. Ichigo was drawn closer and closer to reality, as the voices reached his ears. He tried to open his eyes, but his lids were just too heavy to even budge. For a second, he even considered the option to ignore the alarm, and sleep in. Ichigo was tired, but not so tired as to enrage his boyfriend by not getting up from the bed.

His eyes opened slowly, as he regained consciousness from his dreamless sleep. The room was dark when he finally woke up completely. The chest, which he had used as a pillow, rose and sank calmly. Knowing that he already had wasted five minutes in trying to wake up, Ichigo left the warm body and reached to turn the alarm clock off. He slid, unnoticed, out of the bed and replaced the covers so that the other wouldn't get cold. Ichigo opened his closet and took out a pair of his favorite jeans, and a plain t-shirt. He tiptoed over to his drawer to find a pair of boxers and simple black socks. Ichigo took a quick look at the bed to ensure that his boyfriend still was asleep before leaving the room.

The orangette let his old boxers fall to the tiled floor as he turned on the water. When the water had heated up, he stepped in. Today it had to be a quick shower, since he had been too slow in getting up from the bed. He shampooed and soaped his body quickly before rinsing himself of all the suds. Ichigo dried his body and hair as fast as it was possible. He put on his fresh clothes, and then began to brush his teeth. White foam bubbled out from the corners of his mouth, almost making him drool toothpaste mixed with saliva. It didn't matter how he did his brushing, it always ended with a lot of white oozing out from his mouth. He spit and gurgled. A quick look in the mirror told him that he looked presentable. Ichigo hung the towel on the towel dryer and checked once again to make sure that he had put out the basic garments of his boyfriend's suit the night before.

He went to the kitchen to make breakfast, the already prepared coffeemaker switched on. Eggs, butter, marmalade and a juice box were placed on the counter. A frying pan was taken out from the cupboard to fry the eggs in, and while passing by the toaster, two pieces of bread were put in it. While breakfast was cooking, Ichigo took out a plate, coffee mug, a glass and a fork to set the table with. He filled the glass with juice and put the box back in the fridge. The fried eggs rested on the plate as Ichigo buttered and spread marmalade onto the toasted bread. Coffee was poured into the mug and two minutes later; everything was ready. The only thing that was missing was the newspaper, so Ichigo went out to the letterbox to retrieve it. The paper was laid in its usual place on the table, and Ichigo was thankful that he had managed to get everything ready on time.

Around 7.30 AM, he went back to the bedroom to wake his still sleeping boyfriend. Ichigo stopped at his side of the bed and reached out to shake the sleeping man gently. There was no response at first so Ichigo shook again, this time a little bit harder.

"Kariya-san?" Ichigo whispered.

The man opened his eyes, as if he had been switched on. Ichigo pulled away his hand immediately, reacting like he had been touching fire. Kariya turned his head to Ichigo and let out a yawn.

"Did you sleep well?" The orangette asked.

"I did." Kariya answered and let his hand shoot out from under the covers to grab Ichigo's left one. He yanked it towards him, and Ichigo came closer. The younger male bent over the bed and dipped his head down to Kariya's. They stared into each other's eyes for a couple of seconds, before a strong arm forced Ichigo's head lower so that Kariya could have a good morning kiss. He wasn't just satisfied with a peck on the lips and Ichigo knew that. He opened his mouth and let his boyfriend's tongue in. The kiss was short but deep, and soon Ichigo was by the windows to pull away the curtains to let the sun in. His boyfriend had already exited the bedroom to take a shower. Ichigo made all the pillows puffy again and made the bed. He went and sat down by the table while his boyfriend finished in the bathroom.

A hand ruffled through his hair as Kariya walked past him. He sat down at the table and picked up the paper to read and eat simultaneously. Ichigo rose from the chair to clean whatever mess Kariya had been successful in creating in the short amount of time he had spent in the bathroom. He picked up the abandoned towel that had been thrown on the floor. Ichigo put all the bottles in the shower back in their designated place. He took a quick look at the faucet and was thankful that it had been spared from his boyfriend's mess. Upon entering the kitchen again, Kariya had finished his breakfast and Ichigo removed the dirty dishes.

"I'll see you in the afternoon then?" Ichigo said.

Kariya made grunt and walked out through the front door. An engine roared to life and his boyfriend pulled out. Ichigo washed the dishes from this morning and finally settled down with a cup of coffee himself. He leaned back in the chair and picked up the first part of the Newspaper, knowing that the local paper wouldn't provide him with any useful news.

Ichigo Kurosaki met Jin Kariya two years ago at an online dating site, which only was for men that searched for other men. The site was flooded with men, often way too old to even be interested in someone as young as Ichigo. At that point the boy only was 21 years old. He had decided to not post an image of himself and instead let the visitors on his profile page judge him from what he had written about himself. It wasn't unusual that most men never read it before sending a private message to him. Many times it only was about men suggesting that they should meet and get acquaintance beneath the covers. Those got deleted and blocked before he even cared to read them.

Ichigo was going to give up the whole 'dating on the internet' thing, since it never took him anywhere, but one day, a new message topped his inbox. It wasn't one of those perverted messages he usually got; instead it was a real message from a person who wanted something more. Ichigo replied after he had decided that the man seemed pretty reliable, judging by what he had read on the other's profile.

Jin Kariya, as the man was named, was 37 years old. Ichigo felt a little bit awkward with that at first, but that feeling soon went away as he got to know the other better.

When Ichigo showed his picture to Kariya for the first time, he got a lot of praise about how beautiful he was. Only something as simple as that made his heart go faster. The same day, they exchanged cell phone numbers. At this point, Ichigo told Kariya exactly what he did and what he was thinking, and sometimes a lot of random things, just to have a reason to write to the other. The seemingly normal conversation turned flirtatious and sometimes to innocent teasing.

_[Ichigo: It's boring to sleep by myself… I feel so lonely.]_

_[Kariya: Come over and keep me company.]_

_[Ichigo: I could… if you lived closer to me.]_

_[…]_

_[Kariya: You know that you just have to ask, and I'll pick you up in no time… I really want to.]_

_[Ichigo: Aww, you are so kind, Kariya, but seriously…I can't keep my eyes open. Gonna sleep. Talk to you tomorrow?]_

_[Kariya: Of course. Good night, Ichigo. Sweet dreams.]_

_[Ichigo: Night.]_

Before any of them knew it, almost two months passed since their encounter at the internet, and yet it only had felt like days, barely a week. Ichigo was glad to have a special person like Kariya, which only he knew about. The man was there for him when he felt down or sad, he felt safe knowing that. Going to sleep at night had been getting easier too, his sleeping troubles were almost gone and that was all due to Kariya's virtue.

_[Ichigo: *Poke!*]_

_[Kariya: *Hug* That's a lot nicer, you know? Your poke hurt.]_

_[Ichigo: Sorry… Just bored to death over here.]_

_[Kariya: I love your hair…]_

_[Ichigo: You do? Why?]_

_[Kariya: The color, how it brings forward your eyes and especially the way it's cut. Would just love to feel it between my fingers.]_

_[Ichigo: I don't know what to say but thanks, I suppose?]_

_[Kariya: I love the way you frown too. It's adorable.]_

_[Ichigo: Stop being so nice to me, 'cause that's so not true, and I don't deserve it.]_

_[Kariya: It is true. I would never lie, ever. I promise.]_

_[Ichigo: *Hug*]_

_[Kariya: I know we haven't texting for long but I… think that I like you.]_

_[Ichigo: I think that I… like you too.]_

At that moment, Ichigo felt as if he were living in a dream. His heart beat so damn fast in his chest and his body felt light. His lips wore a silly smile that had spread to his usually frowning eyes. The happiness that he felt was indescribable. Someone loved him. All of him. Was he going to collect his courage and ask the man out? Did he even have the guts to do it? Kariya was a lot older than him, but in a way it was appealing to Ichigo that the man was older. Judging from the small picture he had seen on the dating site, Kariya looked quite big in a well-trained body kind of a way. Ichigo was smaller, and it felt good to have a boyfriend that could take the lead. They had never talked about it, but Ichigo was quite sure that Kariya was the seme in a relationship; he had that aura around him.

Ichigo had dwelt on it for days. Was he going to ask Kariya out? He was a little afraid that Kariya wouldn't be the one he had claimed to be, and then only use him. He had to try, otherwise he would never get romantically involved.

_[Ichigo: I've been thinking about this a lot… Would you want to meet IRL?]_

_[Kariya: I would love to. I have also thought about it, but didn't know if it only was going to scare you away…]_

_[Ichigo: Lucky me that you are feeling the same way! So… when do you want to meet?]_

_[Kariya: I'm free this weekend, if that's okay with you? I don't know what we should do though…]_

_[Ichigo: If it's not much trouble, you could come over to my place and I'll cook you dinner? Sounds good? Friday?]_

_[Kariya: Then I can tell if you are such a good cook as you claim to be. That's really good. I'll drop by after work, around 5 PM? Is that an appropriate time for you?]_

_[Ichigo: It's a date then. Oh, God, I'm so nervous…]_

_[Kariya: Don't be. Just be you and it will be fine.]_

Ichigo hadn't been nervous at all before Friday. However when Friday came, his stomach filled with butterflies. Ichigo decided that a little cleaning would make him forget and it did, for a while at least. The apartment was now super shiny and ready for any uninvited guests. His phone went off and he jumped, startled by its vibrations. He looked at the display only to find Kariya's name blinking on it. Ichigo flipped it open and answered.

"H-hello, Ichigo speaking."

"It's me. I only wanted to tell you that I'm leaving now and will be at your apartment your apartment in an hour." Kariya's deep, and what Ichigo thought, was a very attractive voice, said on the other line.

"Okay."

"I'll see you soon then."

"Yeah, can't wait. Bye."

That had been the most idiotic phone call in Ichigo's life. Way to go with first impression and all. God, he was an idiot. Not long after, the door bell rang Ichigo opened it and let Kariya inside. He took the man's coat while Kariya took off his shoes. The older man hugged Ichigo gently as they greeted each other. Both of them walked in and Ichigo showed Kariya how he lived. It wasn't big, but had a cozy feeling to it.

"While I finish up the last of the food, could you set the table?" Ichigo managed to say through his nervousness and Kariya answered with a genuine smile.

Ichigo had already prepared most of the food, to get it in the oven quickly. All he had to do was to chop some veggies. Kariya walked around, and set the table slowly. Ichigo had felt himself grow to the floor, when the older had stood behind him, his chest brushing to his back, as he got out plates and glasses from the top cupboard over Ichigo's head. He finished prepping his food and placed it in the oven. Kariya had been standing at the table watching every move.

"We can watch a movie while the food gets done." Ichigo suggested.

Awkward silence had fallen over them, and Ichigo sat miles away from Kariya. He couldn't even concentrate on the TV. The only thing on his mind was the man beside him. The same thing happened at the dinner table. The meal had been eaten in silence. Gathering his courage, Ichigo tried to speak with Kariya.

"Did it taste good?"

"It was wonderful."

"It's not a difficult dish actually."

"Then you must give me the recipe later."

"Wanna continue watch that movie?"

"Only if you remove the invisible Berlin wall that crosses the middle of the sofa."

Ichigo blushed and looked away; Kariya had thought about it just as much as he had.

They got seated in the sofa but this time, Ichigo sat closer beside the other man. Ten minutes into the rest of the movie, Kariya laid his arm around Ichigo and drew him even closer. The younger melted into the touch, feeling content. Ichigo rested his head against Kariya's shoulder, and they sat like that till the movie ended. Somewhere near the end of it Ichigo had fallen asleep. He was woken by his human pillow as the credits rolled on the screen. He blinked his eyes open slowly, still fogged with sleep.

"Tired?" Kariya asked Ichigo, who nodded tiredly before he yawned. "Do you want to go to bed?"

"Want to stay the night?" How he had been able to even suggest that Ichigo really had no clue, but it felt right.

Kariya smiled and helped Ichigo on to his feet, who disappeared into the bedroom as Kariya turned off the TV before following. The young man had already crawled down under the covers and flipped it open to invite the older one. He shed his clothes, only leaving his boxers on, before climbing in. He spooned Ichigo from behind and draped and arm around Ichigo's waist.

Kariya had taken all of his firsts. It didn't happen on that night, but a couple of dates later. Ichigo sipped his coffee slowly while he thought about how head over heels he had been over Kariya at that time. He still was, but that exiting spark that he felt then, disappeared long ago. He would never forget the feeling of falling deeply in love or the feeling of all the butterflies in his stomach whenever he was around Kariya. Two years later, their relationship wasn't what it used to be. For some reason, Kariya's behavior had changed drastically the last couple of months. His boyfriend was irritated and didn't treat Ichigo as think a boyfriend should. The orangette knew that his lover had much to do at his company, so he didn't blame him for being an ass sometimes. The company had grown to become quite successful over the years since its establishment.

When Ichigo moved in, they agreed that Ichigo would be the one doing all the domestic work, while Kariya earned all the money. It worked out fine in the beginning, but now Ichigo was required to do certain things in a special way to keep Kariya happy. He wasn't abusive, but very strict in how everything was supposed to get managed and when. Ichigo loved Kariya too much to care, as long as he could spend his life with him, it didn't matter if there sometimes was harsh words. Or did it? Did Ichigo really not get influenced by this? The fact was, that how much he told himself that it didn't matter, the more it hurt when Kariya spoke harshly to him. He tried to think about all the positivities instead. Ichigo had always been high spirited and optimistic; this was no different. It was just that he couldn't keep it up anymore. He really tried, but Kariya always seemed to find weak spots in his defense that easily managed to make him feel… sad.

Ichigo finished his coffee and put the dirty mug into the sink. Today was Monday, and it meant that he had to do some shopping for the majority of the week, vacuum, and dust the house _before_ his boyfriend came back from work. The dinner should also be ready, standing on the table. Ichigo put the newspaper in the recycling bin and put on his jacket. Now… where was the money that Kariya was supposed to leave on the counter under the hallway mirror? After searching for it he understood that his boyfriend had forgotten to give it to him _again_. Ichigo pulled out his cell from his pocket and stared at it for a moment. Kariya hated when he got disturbed at work with 'little disturbances' as he called it. Ichigo decided that he should call, not daring to use the emergency credit card that he had.

"Has something happened?" _A hello would be nice._

"No…"

"So why are you calling me when you _know_ I'm busy?" Kariya said, irritated.

"It's Monday and you forgot to give me money for the groceries."

There was a deep annoyed sigh before the man on the other end spoke again."And why did I give you a credit card?"

"It was supposed to only be used at emergencies!" Ichigo protested.

"Use it and stop pestering me. Useless piece of s-"Kariya hung up before he even finished his sentence. Ichigo swallowed hard as he tried to seal away the feeling of hurt. Knowing that he could use the card, Ichigo walked out through the door. The store that he frequently shopped in stood not far away from the house. It only took a couple of minutes to go there so a car wouldn't be necessary. He had a license though and Kariya had gotten him a pretty hot ride on his last birthday. It didn't have four wheels, but two. His beloved motorcycle had barely been used, mostly because Kariya rather went in his Jaguar when they were going somewhere together.

"Yo, Urahara!" Ichigo greeted as he walked in through the automatic sliding doors.

"Hello, Ichigo-kun! Is it Monday already?"

Ichigo took a basket and started to collect the groceries that he needed. Veggies, meat, rice, beer for Kariya, cleaning products and other such items Ichigo had complied on his mental list. He knew his way around the shop, so he got what he needed without making Urahara wait.

"Time sure flies past fast." Ichigo said as he put the groceries on the conveyer belt. "How's business?"

"Hmm, slow as usual, but it goes around. I might need a part timer one or two days a week in the future, to not be forced to close when I'm out of town. Something that would interest you?"

"It might, if I have some spare time I could cover a few hours. Not a whole day though." His 'schedule' would never allow it, but a few hours would be fine, if Kariya gave him his permission, that is. "I need to speak with Kariya-san first, but I'll let you know."

"Good, good. Everything's okay between the two of you?"

"The usual." Ichigo took out the golden card and stuck it in the card reader before hitting in the code.

"No cash today?"

"Didn't get any."

"I see…" Urahara said and helped him to pack his groceries in two paper bags.

"I'll let you know if I can take some hours of your shoulders." The shopkeeper nodded and Ichigo walked out from the store.

The house that Kariya owned was quite big, it had a top floor and a ground floor. A well kept garden circulated the house, and there was a large garage in a separate building. From the outside it looked like a dream house, the interior was just as dreamy. The kitchen was to die for and Ichigo had dubbed it to be his favorite space, although it was tied for first place against the peaceful garden.

It had taken some hours to clean the whole house and Ichigo was now standing and preparing the food. Kariya would approximately get home in two hours or so. The food would be done just in time. There was no need to piss him of further today anyway. The dinner was indeed ready when Kariya walked through the front door. When he walked in to the kitchen, Ichigo poured out the water from the spaghetti.

"Welcome home, Kariya-san." Ichigo greeted.

The man sat down at the kitchen table but didn't acknowledge him. Ichigo prepared two plates with pasta and meat sauce. He put down their plates on the table and sat down.

"Itadakimasu." He said before he started to eat.

They ate in silence, only the noise from their cutleries filled the almost too silent room. Ichigo didn't even have an appetite to begin with and eating with this thick tension only made it worse. He stilled in his eating to glance at his boyfriend, who didn't seem to be in a bad mood, so what was up with the cranky attitude? He put down his utensils; he was definitely not hungry anymore. Ichigo took a sip from his water and watched his boyfriend eat.

"How was work?" Ichigo asked in an attempt to at least get a conversation started.

"Sat in a meeting almost the whole day." Kariya said, not even looking at Ichigo.

Said boy clenched his fist under the table. "Urahara asked me if I could work a few hours a week at his shop, when he needs extra help. So is it okay if I work there once in awhile?"

"No."

The answer was like a stab in the heart.

"But I have the time! I can do both the housework and manage a job!"

"No." Kariya never stopped to eat and didn't give Ichigo any attention. The orangette rose quickly from the table and almost threw his dishes down in the sink.

"I can't see the problem." Ichigo said angrily as he leaned against the kitchen counter. It was quiet for a moment before Kariya spoke.

"If you have the time to stand in a store, looking at people, then you should put that energy into the household. That was our deal."

"What's wrong with me earning money?"

Kariya looked up from his plate and locked his eyes with Ichigo's. He was furious and Ichigo refused to flinch in fear.

"The answer is _no_ and we have finished this discussion."

Kariya rose from his chair and stepped out from the kitchen. Ichigo stomped around and cleared the table but refused to clean the dishes out of anger to deliberately piss Kariya off. He sat down in the sofa and turned the ridiculously large flat screen on.

An hour passed until Kariya made an appearance. Ichigo had already curled up in a fleece blanket and fallen asleep, but was woken by Kariya who was everything but happy.

"Why is the kitchen a mess?"

"Because."

Kariya pulled Ichigo up from his lying posture into a sitting one in the sofa and shook his slender frame quite hard.

"Fix it." Kariya spat.

"What if I don't want to?"

Kariya's hands gripped his shoulder painfully and pressed him into the soft cushions of the sofa.

"Get it done, or else…"

"Or else, what?"

Anger flashed through Kariya's eyes and the murderous intent he had, were nothing Ichigo had seen before. Seconds later his boyfriend had tossed him down on the floor, in the direction of the kitchen. He then took one of his arms and dragged him into it. Ichigo had been too stunned to thrash and fight against him and was now currently on the floor, trying to comprehend the whole scenario.

"You aren't sleeping until the kitchen's cleaned."

Ichigo sat up on the floor and leaned against the cabinets. He stared in front of him, trying to calm down. It was easier said than done. His boyfriend had just thrown him around like a worthless ragdoll. He could already feel the bruises developing on his body. He wanted to chase after him and shout exactly what he thought about this but… his limbs refused to move. Ichigo Kurosaki had never been afraid of anything before, so why should he start now? He was acting like a chick, goddammit. He heard how Kariya's footsteps echoed throughout the upper level of the house. He flinched when they came to a stop, but he assumed that the man had sat down in front of his computer.

Ichigo rose from the floor on shaky legs, and started to take care of the dishes. He really wanted to make a point by not doing them, but considering the situation, this was all he could do.

An hour later, he climbed into their bed and curled into a ball beneath the covers, gathering everything around him to leave the other side of the bed empty. He wondered if Kariya were still mad. At times like these, he would just take out his bike and drive aimlessly to clear his head. Both of them had never really argued. Was it because that they always kept themselves alone in different rooms in the house? Ichigo and Kariya spent rarely time with each other in the weekdays. It could be that simple…or not.

The younger male had almost fallen asleep when the bed sunk and the covers were yanked from his body. Ichigo stretched his legs and turned around to face his boyfriend. He seemed to have calmed down to his usual self and luckily, Ichigo had cooled of as well.

"Kariya-san, are you still mad at me?" Ichigo whispered. Kariya turned his head against his lover before answering. "No, I'm not." Ichigo locked uncertain eyes with Kariya. "Sure?" The older sighed, used to Ichigo's stubborn side. "Yes, I'm sure." The orangette smiled uncertainly before moving closer.

They ended up in a spooning position, with Ichigo trapped by his boyfriend's strong arms and intertwined legs. Kariya had burrowed his nose in the nape of Ichigo's neck, which he rarely did.

"Did I hurt you?" Kariya mumbled against it.

"A little. I think it will bruise…You scared me."

Kariya moved his face around in Ichigo's hair, really snuggling into it in a way of saying his apologies. "I'm so sorry, Ichigo. It will never happen again. I promise. It's just so much with work right now, so I just snapped. Please forgive me?"

"I forgive you…Hey, let's get some sleep? I have class tomorrow and I need to pay attention, we have a test soon." They cuddled even closer before letting sleep take over. Even though his boyfriend was an ass sometimes he still loved him. But how long would it last before he had had enough?

* * *

><p><strong>TBC.<strong>


	2. Bruised

**~ Chapter 2 – Bruised ~**

Ichigo traced the marks with his fingers, and winced when he brushed past the worst ones. The biggest bruises were where he had connected with the floor. The largest one had spread on his right thigh. Ichigo stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He had fallen asleep in Kariya's arms, but as soon as he had been claimed by sleep, he woke with a startle. His heart beat so fast in his chest. The dream he experienced still haunted him in the back of his mind, and after it, he had been too scared to fall asleep again.

Ichigo stared at his neck. His hands ghosted over it as he stretched and turned. _Nothing_. Then why had it felt so real? In his dream, Kariya had enclosed his throat between his two large hands. His boyfriend wore the same eyes as he had when Ichigo had been thrown into the kitchen. Those angry eyes were something that he would never forget. The procedure had been slow. Kariya's hands burned his skin as they closed around it, stopping there. No pressure was necessary, Kariya's eyes pinned him to the wall. After awhile, pressure had been added, inch by inch; the hands squeezed harder. Ichigo tried desperately to breathe in the much needed air, but it only made him cough. The worst part in this dream was while Kariya strangled him, he didn't do anything to stop him. His arms were limp at his sides, as if he accepted it. That was probably the worst thing, accepting it. Had he wanted to die, or had he deserved it? He woke up before he had a chance to find out.

Ichigo had no problem with having a huge bruise on his thigh but as he looked at his arms, those would be very easy to see, and he had class today. _Just_ _perfect_, and it was too hot outside to wear anything with long sleeves. Shinji was going to ask him a zillion stupid questions about them. They weren't that visible and wouldn't drag anyone's attention. Shinji on the other hand, would notice, he always did, like a freaking bloodhound. With Renji it was easier, he paid to little attention instead, but Ichigo rather preferred that in this context comparing to Shinji's ultra-awareness.

The orangette exited the bathroom quickly when he realized that he had stayed there too long. He made Kariya's breakfast in a hurry and jogged to the mailbox to retrieve the newspaper. His boyfriend was still asleep when he entered their bedroom. Ichigo still hadn't decided if he was going to be afraid of him. Kariya had said that he was sorry and that it wouldn't happen again. He shook his head before walking closer to the bed. Ichigo bent forward and kissed Kariya on his lips. The man under him opened his eyes and actually smiled when he saw Ichigo.

"What a good way to start the morning," the older said sleepily.

"Breakfast is ready, but you will need to hurry. There's a lot of traffic today."

Ichigo made the bed and sat down on it. He took a deep, calming breath; somewhere in his heart he had been a little afraid. His boyfriend seemed to be in a good mood at least. No hint of anger in his eyes, but despite that, his legs couldn't stop shaking. While he tried to forget, his body couldn't. He took another deep breath and tried to relax.

"Ichigo, you forgot to put on the coffee!" Kariya shouted from the kitchen.

"Then why don't you fix it yourself?" Ichigo muttered to himself as he began to move to the kitchen. It wasn't that Kariya was unable to take care of himself. In fact, he was just as skilled as Ichigo when it came to cooking, which explained the wonderful kitchen in the house. Since Ichigo moved in, Kariya had gotten a fixed idea that his lover should do everything, only because they had decided it.

Kariya fit well into the category of 'McDreamy'. He was handsome, owned an expensive house, had a car most people only could drool at in catalogues, had his own company and could take care of himself and be good at it. All this made him fit in the 'McDreamy' category, and Ichigo hadn't even included his bedroom skills into all that.

Ichigo brewed the coffee and sat down on the opposite side of Kariya. His boyfriend sipped his black poison as he watched Ichigo stare down into his mug.

"Aren't you hungry?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"Uh…not really. I'll eat something later."

"But you barely ate yesterday…"

A small shudder passed through Ichigo's body as he thought about the previous evening. "I'm just not hungry," he said quietly and rested his head on his hand. Kariya noticed the bruises that _he_ had made.

"Do they hurt?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"Sorry."

Ichigo gave Kariya a small smile. He still didn't know if he should take it as a sorry or not.

Kariya left for work as usual and on today's agenda was cleaning the bathroom before going to his class. Since Ichigo cleaned on a daily basis, he had become fast at it and everything was usually not that dirty, so it took barely any time to get it done.

When Ichigo was crawling around on the bathroom floor to scrub it, he realized something. He and his boyfriend hadn't 'done it' in quite a while, which was strange. Before, they had a go at it at least every other night, even in the mornings and on free lunches at Kariya's office or at home, but these last couple of months…nothing. Why was that? Did it explain Kariya's behavior or was he just sick and tired of Ichigo? Had he met someone else? Ichigo stopped scrubbing and swallowed hard. Could it be that simple? Kariya satisfied his need elsewhere? No…what was he thinking? There was no room for his boyfriend to cheat on him, he had too much work and always came home. It was somehow _his_ fault that things weren't the way it was.

Ichigo finished the bathroom and went to the big mirror in the bedroom. He stared at himself for awhile before pulling his shirt over his head. Ichigo stared some more and poked at his stomach. Kariya must be disgusted with the way his body looked like. It had been a while since he did some physically training. After he had met Kariya, his whole life changed. He usually ran every morning, but now when he had to do chores before Kariya woke and during the day, he hadn't the time anymore. No wonder he was fat and loosing muscle. No wonder Kariya was angry all the time. He was out of shape and Kariya hated him for it. What was he supposed to do? Ichigo put on his shirt and took out his English books from the bookshelf and put them in his back pack. There was some time before his class started but, he needed to clear his mind and a motorcycle trip was just what he needed.

In the garage, his _Zangetsu_ stood against the wall. It looked exactly like as if it was bought only yesterday, due to Ichigo's good care. Zangetsu was a sports bike and one of the better ones out on the market. The bike was painted in simple piano black and its fellies and exhaust pipe was chromed. The vehicle hadn't rolled many miles and its tires still had those small rubber things that indicated that the tire was almost brand new.

Ichigo pressed the button to the garage door and rolled the motorcycle out. He swung his backpack over his shoulders and then put on the black helmet with a tinted glass. The black leather jacket had already been put on and it had two red and white stripes on the front traveling from shoulder to the hem. He mounted it and kicked away the stand, before rolling out on the road. He turned the key and the engine roared to life. Only the sound reminded him of how much he loved his bike. Today he didn't give a fuck if he were loud or not. Ichigo turned the handle and drove away fast and roaring.

A couple of minutes later, he drove on a smaller road, leading to the country side. Traffic signs were forgotten as he speed through the landscape. The road led him to a small county and he turned towards the highway. Here on this straight, wide road, he drove faster and faster. He overhauled car by car, loving every meter his bike rolled. Too soon to his liking, Ichigo could see the city he lived in. A few turns in a couple of roundabouts later, he arrived to the building where he took English classes every Tuesday. It was in this precise building he had met Shinji and Renji among a couple of others. Shinji had become his best friend shortly after their first encounter.

Ichigo parked his bike and went to the classroom. With his back pack on his back and his helmet dangling in his left hand he opened the door and stepped in. Shinji sat on top off a desk with a really smug smirk on his lips, while Renji sat on the opposite side, looking very frustrated.

"Come on Shinji…" Renji whined.

The blond man sat silent while ignoring Renji and turned his attention to Ichigo as he walked in. Ichigo gave Shinji a curt nod, which he got returned. He sat down on a chair, but turned it around to face his friends.

"Are you teasing Renji as usual?"

"He is!" The red head exclaimed. "He refuses to tell me!"

Ichigo gave Shinji a suspicious look. "Just what did you put in his brain this time?"

Shinji started to laugh and flung his head back, which didn't made Renji more patient.

"I'm just curious… Is it true?"

"I can't tell you. Ask Ichi." Shinji grinned.

"Ask me what?"

"I read on the internet that it feels really good to stick in your finger while you…" Oh, no. Ichigo knew _exactly_ where this was going. "…you know 'take care' of things. So does it?"

In an instant, Ichigo's face shifted to tomato color and Shinji laughed so hard that he almost fell down from the desk. Ichigo turned back his chair and hid his face under his arms, resting on top of the desk. Renji stared at Shinji and then at Ichigo.

"Jeesh, Ichi, you're such a prude."

The orangette raised his head, not the slightest amused. "It's not funny."

"I'm sorry Ichigo, I assumed that you knew since you're gay and all…"

"Shin is gay as well, you know."

"But he refused to tell me!"

"That's 'cause Ichi is so fun to embarrass." Shinji cut in. "I think this made my day!"

"I'm so not talking to you, ever again."

There was a moment of silence before Renji spoke up again.

"So… does it feel good?"

Ichigo groaned and Shinji jumped down from the desk and sat down on the chair next to Ichigo's.

The teacher walked around and gathered the assigned homework which Renji had forgotten or failed to finish, whatever floated his boat. No one was surprised though. Ichigo usually loved English, but today he felt a bigger need to talk about his predicament. He silently tore out a page from his note book and scribbled something on it before passing it to Shinji.

_- Lunch on the roof?_

_- 'course_

Ichigo hid the note and tried to pay attention through the last hour.

"Are you coming with us tonight?" Renji wondered as they lingered outside the classroom. Ichigo shook his head as he gave Renji an apologetic look.

"You know I can't." He said and scratched the back on his head.

"See you later then Shinji?"

"Yeah and put on something nice!"

"Whatever."

Ichigo and Shinji went to the roof after they had gotten lunch from the small cafeteria. Ichigo sat with his untouched sushi bento in his lap, resting his head against the wall with eyes closed. It felt good to be able to relax, it was such nice weather too.

"How's it going with your sugar daddy?"

"Shin…"

"Okay, your _boyfriend._"

"Things are like they always have been."

"Riiight… and those marks around your arms have always been there."

"We had an argument." Ichigo confessed.

"'bout?"

"Me working for Urahara once in a while."

"an'?"

"He obviously said no, and to prove my point I refused to wash the dishes. You know how picky he is about everything and how they are supposed to be done. As a result he threw me into the kitchen and threatened that I couldn't sleep before it had been cleaned."

"Ichi…"

"He said that he was sorry and made sure that I was okay though."

"So how do you feel about it?"

Ichigo put away his untouched bento and pulled up his knees to hug them.

"It's ironic you know? I was the one who beat up people who mocked me because of my orange hair when I was a kid, but now _I'm_ scared. When did I become so…soft?"

"Calm down Ichi. It probably was because Kariya isn't used to you bitching against him. Don't cha think?"

"Yeah, probably."

Shinji patted his legs and Ichigo looked up.

"You barely slept right?"

Ichigo nodded and placed his head on Shinji's thighs. He stared at the blue sky, enjoying the silence.

A pair of chopsticks with food in between them, hovered over his face. "You haven't eaten either right?" Ichigo ate while Shinji continued to feed him. The blond only managed to get Ichigo to eat a little before he said that he was full, which wasn't true and Shinji knew it. He massaged the orangette's skull and let his short hair slip through his fingers. The soothing gesture made Ichigo slip in and out of a perfect dreamless sleep.

After a while he woke up with a startle as a tongue was forced through his lips.

"Aww, I thought you looked cute when you slept." Shinji said almost disappointed.

"So you just decided to stick your tongue down my throat?"

Shinji shrugged.

"Knowing what you do with it, I will have to bleach my mouth." Ichigo responded irritated.

"Don't worry, you didn't sleep for long."

Ichigo rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn.

"You're going to work for Urahara anyway I'm guessing?"

"Kariya-san won't notice."

"Just be careful."

They walked down from the roof and went out of the school building. Ichigo turned on the engine and sat down on his motorcycle. He flipped the visor up and told Shinji goodbye and promised to call if anything happened.

On the way home he stopped by Urahara's store. The man stood outside, smoking a cigarette. Ichigo turned off the motor, but stayed seated on the vehicle.

"My my, what gives me the honor?"

The orangette took off his helmet and bore a determined gaze.

"I'll accept your offer."

"And Kariya?"

"He approved."

"Good, good. How often can you work?"

"One or two hours per day, longer if Kariya-san goes on business trips."

"Then come whenever you can tomorrow."

Ichigo was on a roll, his day had gone on become really good. He parked Zangetsu in the garage and did a quick change to a pair of short jeans shorts and a white wife beater. Back in the garage, he filled the lawnmower with petrol and pulled the string a few times before it regained its life. He started to walk back and forth on the grass. Ichigo worked through the front yard fast enough to have time with the back side. It was a lot bigger, but he finished just as his boyfriend stepped through the trapdoor. He turned it off and wiped his face with a towel.

"Welcome home." He said and stepped up on the sundeck. Sweat ran from his temples and his breathing was a little strained from the grass cutting. "Sorry, I haven't had the time to make dinner. I forgot the time. I'll throw something together in a minute.

"Make something light. I had dinner with a client."

"As you wish, Kariya-san."

Ichigo took a quick shower while Kariya relaxed on the sofa with a book. In the kitchen, he decided to make a salad with garlic bread. The orangette was in a daze. Everything had been so normal when his boyfriend had come home and that scariness was gone. _Strange._ Ichigo put the cut vegetables in a bowl and started to shred carrot. He soon learned that wet hands and a slippery carrot going up and down on something sharp, while having your head in the clouds wasn't the best combo. At the same moment Kariya was demanding a beer and startled Ichigo. "Shit." He swore as his blood ran, too much in his opinion. Where had he put the band aids again?

"Ichigo! Beer!"

"I'm coming!"

Oh, there they were! He dried up the blood from the floor and took a deep breath. _Don't panic Ichigo, there's only a little amount of blood, no one died, just…_ He closed his eyes to calm down only to have images play in his head over and over again. A faint shouting was heard in the distance. Ichigo opened his eyes trying to focus on the opposite wall.

"Ichigo?!" Kariya was still shouting at him.

He remembered that he had to get air to his lungs and took a shuddering breath. Kariya came into the kitchen, stamping heavily to express his irritation. He pushed Ichigo out of the way to get to the fridge. The younger man flew into the kitchen bench with his back first. He let out a grunt as the pain registered. His boyfriend slammed the fridge door closed, which made Ichigo flinch.

"Didn't you hear me?" Kariya said angrily.

"Uhm..I-…Sorry…"

"You better be."

The oven beeped and Ichigo hurried over to take out the baked garlic bread from the wall- hung oven. In his confused state he forgot to put on the cooking mittens perfectly and burned himself on the hot bake tray. His body responded to the burn and forced Ichigo to drop it. The awfully silent room was broken with the noise from the tray crashing to the floor. The bread was spread all over it. Kariya walked out from the kitchen, snorted and mumbled "_useless idiot"_ as he passed Ichigo.

That night, the light dinner was forgotten mostly because Kariya didn't press on the matter, Ichigo stared at the water tap as the cold water poured onto his burned hand. He turned it off after he barely had any feeling left in it. Ichigo decided to climb into his bed- no _their bed_- after mending his hand. He didn't take off his clothes and the bread was still on the floor. The other side of the bed sunk down when Kariya lay down later in the night, unbeknownst that Ichigo was still awake and probably would be for the entire night.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>

**AN:** Hi everyone that survived xmas, finally the second chapter. I hope that not many are scared of Kariya. I know he's not a favored character in fan fiction, but I see some _potential_ and it's getting kind of boring to have Aizen to be the mean one in everything you read. ;) Things will unfold slowly, but surely. Just you wait. Big thanks to my beta as usual!


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